WIAW: Last Attempt with Protein Powder

Thank you all for your comments on yesterday’s post! I wasn’t looking for reassurance, but it was nice to hear that I’m not the only one who tends to keep their plate full. One thing that I’ve noticed is that women tend to have fuller plates than men. I’m not a psychologist and I definitely didn’t get straight A’s in my high school AP Psychology course, but I wonder if there’s some sort of relationship between a woman’s full plate and her maternal instincts?

Oftentimes I hear about women offering to help their family or friends in any way they can. They commit to as many things as possible because they feel obligated to do so if they have any free time. While in contrast, men cherish their free time by kicking up their feet, cracking open a beer, and relaxing. That obviously is a very general statement and by no means am I saying that men are lazy (I’m incredibly thankful for what my husband does on a daily basis!), but I think they know something that we don’t… You shouldn’t have to do 10 different things at once to feel a sense of accomplishment.

Moving onto tastier “plates,” my Tuesday eats. Over the weekend Ryan, Charlie, and I went to my momma’s house to help her with a few things and in exchange she treated us to an Italian feast. It was marvelous! But what isn’t so marvelous is that I think I caught her cold/sinus infection because by dinnertime last night my head felt like it was gonna explode and my throat was on fiiiyyyaaa. Boo.

Breakfast: Yesterday I woke up in the mood for a fluffy stack of pancakes so I made a batch of Pumpkin Pie Pancakes and served them with a side of cinnamon apples + raisins and a cup of Caramel Apple Pie coffee.

Two questions that I’m frequently asked are “How do you have time to make pancakes on a weekday morning?” and “You eat so many pancakes, aren’t you worried that you’re gonna get fat?”

First — pancakes really don’t take any longer to make than a pot of oatmeal or eggs on the stove. I’m not fancy and typically only use one bowl so it’s simple as measuring, mixing, pouring, and flipping.

Second — no, I’m not worried I’m gonna get fat from eating pancakes. My pancake recipes are simple and typically don’t contain added sugars, flour + baking powder + spices + eggs. Yes, if I added a bottle of maple syrup and tablespoons of butter on top of each batch then I’d have a higher chance of packing on the pounds, but most of the time I prefer Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and fresh fruit as my toppings.

Lunch: After working on my computer for a few hours my brain needed a break. I walked over to the gym and rode the stationary bike for an hour. My body was sore from cardio + weights on Monday and as the day went on I started feeling sicker so it was an easy but fulfilling workout.

One of my favorite foods to eat when I’m sick is chicken noodle soup – there’s something so comforting and homey about it. I paired a bowl of boxed chicken noodle soup with a crisp salad, orange slices, a pizza English muffin, and a handful of pretzels. Hot liquids, vitamin C, salt… Soothing and filling.

tip: put the tomato sauce on top of the cheese so the bread doesn’t get soggy

Snack: I’ve tried a handful of different varieties of protein and I’ve tried a few different recipes using protein powder and I’ve never been a fan. I prefer my protein in the form of beans, chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, Greek yogurt, etc. But after numerous recommendations from friends, I gave Designer Whey Protein Powder a chance. On Sunday morning I made a batch of Pumpkin Protein Muffins and surprisingly both Ryan and I gave them a thumbs up!

The past few days I’ve enjoyed a couple of muffins topped with Greek cream cheese with fruit as a mid-day snack. But yesterday I was sadly disappointed…. I bit into a muffin and immediately spit it out (sorry for the visual). The muffins had a funky smell and tasted sour – gross. I’m not sure why they went from delicious to disgusting overnight but I think that was my last attempt to like protein powder.

Dinner: Ryan finished up at work early so he picked me up and we went to see the new movie About Time. Side note: we had the whole theater to ourselves! The reviews compared it to Love Actually which I thought was good, not great, but I’m a fan of Rachel McAdams so I thought it was worth seeing. The movie got off to a slow start but by the end I enjoyed it.

We didn’t get home from the theater until after 7 p.m. so dinner was easy. I wasn’t in the mood for soup again so I whipped up a pot of Creamy Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal(which I had again for breakfast this morning) and topped it with a spoonful of apple butter and peanut butter. I also sauteed a few green beans and mushrooms in coconut oil becuase I love veggies with dinner.

Like this:

Whatcha Think?

Hi! I’m clicking over from your post to the DC Bloggers FB page! I have no idea what went wrong with the protein powder but I agree that I prefer not to cook with it! A little in a smoothie from time to time is all I need. Also, I saw you mentioned Greek cream cheese? I’ve never heard of this before! Is this something you made or bought in the store?

I have to say I’m not a fan of protein powder. I don’t like the consistency of it and my doctor told me to steer clear from it, so that’s what I’ve always done. I think I will continue to stay away from it because I’ve found that I personally get enough protein in my diet without added proteins. I could really go for a pumpkin muffin though! I’ve been wanting to see that movie- maybe I’ll take myself on a date this weekend

I couldn’t agree with you more about men being able to just enjoy their free time rather than piling up a million “to dos” … I’m so envious of my husband for this! Heading back to yesterday’s post soon! But first … all your food looks delicious, and I LOVE your attitude about the pancakes! Glad you know what works for you (and that pancakes don’t have to be made with a stick of butter and a pound of sugar!) My favorite source of protein is probably eggs!

I don’t mind protein powder, except I find designer whey to be disgusting. I won it from someone’s giveaway and it tastes chalky and fake to me. I tried it baking after numerous people loved it and included it in the recipes I was following, but I could not deal with the smell or the chalky taste and threw everything away. I don’t have problems with other protein powders, though, so it is just personal preference!

I’m not even a huge pancake fan but you always manage to leave me craving them… I’m still planning on making your apple pancakes one of these days As for protein powders, I’m not really into them and only use them sparingly here or there… I lucked out and managed to find one that I really enjoy, but there are definitely a lot of nasty ones out there. I’m not sure if you guys have it down in the states, but it’s called Proteins+ by Genuine Health, and it tastes pretty great and has a stellar ingredients list.

Boo- praying you start feeling better. Aint no body got time to be down under the weather The perfect sick medicine for me is asking Joshua oh so kindly to pamper my every need.. you know, a massage or two never killed anyone

Caramel Apple Pie Coffee?! I’ll forever be amazed by the flavours available over there – they sound intriguing even to me as a non-coffee drinker. And people asking you if you were afraid of gaining by eating pancakes? Lovely. Only not.
Not being an expert at psychology by any means, either, I’d still agree with your thoughts on women having a tendency to load their plates more than men. Just thinking about that immediately evokes the image of my grandma never sitting still at any family gathering until everybody is well fed and even then being the first to jump up to refill any serving dishes or care for anything else. I don’t think men are less helpful – they just rather wait to be asked for help while women keep their eyes open offering help before even being asked. Though there are obviously always exceptions to every rule.
Hope you’ll feel better soon! I usually turn to soup/stews, too, when I feel a cold sneaking up.

I make waffles a few times a week and I’ve been asked the same questions! People don’t understand that there are healthier versions of pancakes/waffles and the toppings can make a world of difference. Also, I actually think I spend less time making waffles then when I cook oatmeal in the mornings.
I was wondering if your husband eats as healthy as you do. I only ask, because my boyfriend wasn’t the healthiest eater when we first met, although he loves to cook. I’ve definitely gotten him to eat more fruits and veggies, but sometimes it is hard when we are cooking dinner together. I definitely don’t eat healthy all of the time, but occasionally, I love having a hot bowl of oats with pb for dinner, too! In that case, he would have to make something for himself since he doesn’t share my love for oatmeal :).

Yes, my husband eats similar meals to mine… When we first met he used to be a big frozen pizza eater but now we’ll get one from TJ’s once a week, if that. His portions are usually bigger and contain more meat/starches, while mine contain more veggies, but I don’t cook two separate meals. If we’re having a “catch can” kinda night, he may have leftovers and I’ll have oatmeal – those nights we may eat differently.

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Meet Allison

Allison is a wife, momma, and teacher turned stay-at-home mom. She indulges in strong coffee, big salads, doughy carbs, and spoonfuls of peanut butter. Despite encountering a few health hiccups over the years, Allison has maintained an active lifestyle and enjoys taking her dog for walks, going to the gym, and running road races.

I am not a doctor, nor a nurse. I am not a personal trainer, nor a therapist. I am simply a girl who enjoys sharing her adventures, personal preferences, and experiences with those who choose to read LAB. Please remember that it is important to consult a certified professional before making any health related decisions.